Rob

Why not buy a round bit to start with!

Get Navionice Gold XL9 28XG - this is the whole of the UK and Northern France. Very useful is you are ever to trail to West Devon and Cornwall \ North Coast you will not have a suitable chart. I think I paid

Sunday I found that my drag was a bit jerky when fighting Mr Spikey! Having recently cleaned the cork drag (the cork was black and I used Isopropyl alcohol so not to disolve the glue in the cork) I was suprised. Then after some quick research I found that fly reel cork drags are lubricated with grease! I thought that was worth a try and bingo - drag still works through the range and is as smooth as silk. So I did the same to my second reel all in less than 20 mins. (the reels in question are Abu 6600 Lever Drags) Rob

Like anything - practice practice practice! You need to get to know your boat and trailer - My old boat had a bad relationship with it's trailer until I added a could of fat rollers at the back and a guide bumper on either side. Rob

Indeed, practice builds confidence and will enable you to launch easily by yourself. A number of club members launch trailered boats on their own, including me. Wick, Mudeford and Lymington are particually good places to lauch single handed. And Baiter is possible with the use of a rope if you don't fancy dunking the car. Often you will find depening on the crew you take it can be like launching on your own!! Going out with others just to see how they launch and recover will give you a great insight on how to (and some times not to) do it. Even better, take a picnic and go to a slipway on a sunny weekend guranteed entertainment and an oppourtunity to learn! Rob

On saturday I launched for the first time at Lymington with my fishing buddy Nick. We had the solent in mind due to the weather and smoothies were on teh cards. We got out around 9am and headed in to the Solent. We searched for some features and found a lovely gullly so dropped the hook, I ended up 12m above the target area. Why doesn't it always work like that!!! Down went the first bait and bang, fish on before Nick had even attached a hook! The fish swung against the boat and fell off! But hey I touched the hook length! So a small Starry Smoothie to me! The tide was no really pushing through and the amount of weed was becoming annoying so we moved closer inshore. Well a couple more fish (4-5lb I guess) and a small bream to double squid on a pennel and the conditions were worstening so we had a nice wet jaunt around the solent (conditions were just as bad across the otherside of the water) and back in to Lymo. Overall, target species was landed and we had some sun (nice and warm with the spray dodger up). Will be out again soon - oh - maybe in the morning after the BBq on Gastronaught!!

Thanks Trev but i'm out of those at the mo!! Unless you have a plague of them you need me to remove!! Mind you I have found they do go well on the BBQ!!

Gents - if smoothies were the target down that way what bait works best? Squid? Hermit Crab? Peeler? (

If you are an RNLI member call the RNLI College at the HQ in Poole and se if there are any rooms available - cheap, clean and great breakfast!!! Rob

Any idea of size Adam? because it is difficult to judge how big that Redgill is! Rob

Happy Birthday Alan. Rob

Or wait till he throws in skip and then grab it and save a tenner!

Simon, Charlie A will be able to advise that having an under powered boat is certainly useable but with the right motor turns in to a completely different beast! Yahooo!!!!!! I think Gordon H would agree too. Just ensure you factor in the cost of a bigger engine - perhaps speak to some dealers and see what the trade-in would be for that motor. Rob

Foolish idea - look what happened to PJ!!!

Don't let that put you off joining!

Welcome - remember to join the Club proper! Best few quid you will invest to get the most out of your boating! Rob

Happy birthday - may your first ever pint be a cold one!! Rob

Have a good one Gordon. Rob

Beauty Dan - not envious at all!!!!!!! Rob

Indeed, as Brian said, come along thi Thursday even if the paperwork isn't complete. Rob

I friend has just had a 15 Mariner 4stroke with electric start with remote steering for

Crikey, that's a big'un!!!

Today I have had word of one of those big fish with nasty wee teeth being spotted in the last few days!!! So, they must be about. Good luck Tom. Also, I heard of a 4.5lb bream being caught on sunday on a charter from Poole - a friend of mine was onboard at the time, YUM!!! I am connected to the dorset fish grapevine at the mo! R

Brian is obviously overcome with excitement and can't concentrate, I would be the same!!! Best of luck with her Brian. Rob

They are a bit patch - all or nothing at the mo it would seem.